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The Amphin
The Amphin Location The Amphin live in the Dashao Rainforest, which is a primeval rainforest that also sits atop an extremely large coal deposit. It is composed of very dense jungle and swampland with many unique kinds of flora and fauna that thrive in this environment. Insects are generally larger than average and there are dozens of kinds of poisonous plants and fungi. The Amphin live on the Bronze world continent with mountains to the west, called the Awtare Hul, meaning Thunder Mountains in their native language. To the east of their Rainforest is a sea, known as the Holosen Avta, meaning Salt Pass Sea. Language The language of the Amphin is called Damour; pronounced (da-MORE) Appearance Amphin skin comes in iridescent shades of greens, blues, and turquoises and is covered in dark blue swirling, spotted, blotched and/or striped patterns that are unique to each Amphin. Whether certain patterns are hereditary or not is unknown although the placement of patterns seems to be similar among siblings. The Amphin themselves will tell you that their patterns are messages from their deity, and can be used to divine one's future and future behaviors, although even the Amphin admit that these divinations are not wholly reliable. They have small fins on their forearms and lower legs and webbing on their feet that they retract when they are out of water. They have a larger fin on top of their head that extends from the top of their forehead to halfway down the back of the head. They also have much larger ear fins than their eastern relatives, that give them greater hearing capabilities. In addition, they have six suction-cupless tentacles that are connected to the back of the head. They are all about the same length, all reaching to about a couple inches above the middle of their back. Amphin have a double eyelid, which allows them to open or close them to see clearly both on land and under water. Their noses, which are in a low relief on their face, are almost just two slits. Also, they have a sort of ridge on their face, starting from the ear and ending above the jaw which is more prominent in males than in females. The purpose of this is unknown, it may simply be an odd feature of their skull. Characteristics The Amphin have several adaptations that allow them to live both on land and in salt and freshwater. They can close their nostrils when under water and can close their gills, located on their necks, when on land to breathe in both conditions. Also, they are able to filter out salt, which in Amphin goes through the kidneys and out in urine. They have very efficient and powerful kidneys that can not only filter salt, but also help filter out several kinds of poisons (a necessary adaptation for their jungle which is home to countless poisonous substances). A side effect to this is that they have a very high alcohol tolerance and extremely foul smelling urine. However, this urine is excellent and warding off scavengers and insects from Amphin camps. Amphin ears have a small water holding compartment that stores some fluid. This is necessary for their eardrums to function; if the ear canal dries up, their hearing is affected and becomes very painful for them. Also, an Amphin's tentacles can move and can be used as additional limbs, but do not have a lot of strength. so can't be used to hold much. They can however be used to feel, quite a lot actually. An Amphin's head fins and tentacles are also sensory organs. They can detect temperature, pressure, humidity, and, surprisingly, electromagnetic currents. The tentacles are very touch sensitive and so are useful for a variety of purposes. Pulling or damaging the forehead fin and tentacles is very painful for Amphin, and injury to them is extremely serious. Behavior The Amphin believe very strongly in their religion, and if you asked them where they came from, they would answer with the following: thousands of years ago the Amphin lived in the sea and fled some great, recurring "bad thing". They have never specified what this bad thing was, but some assume it was some ancient leviathan that would hibernate and then awaken and eat them, but the shamans won't confirm or deny any theories. They say their exodus was a long one and their goddess, the Worldsoul, or Earth Mother, guided them to this rainforest and taught them how to walk on land and live in the jungle over the course of a thousand years. All of this is recorded in the oral tradition; their shamans are taught the entire history of their people and the history of their specific tribes and and lineages. The Amphin have incredible memories and an incredible curiosity and love of learning. They say that "knowledge is survival, and denying knowledge is death". They greatly value communication and community, always sharing information and gossip between other bands and even other tribes. If someone discovers something important it is a grave sin to not share it with everyone, since, in most cases, something new would be something that could help their survival in the dangerous environment they live in. The Amphin are expert swimmers. They are able to out swim every aquatic predator in the jungle, and could easily out swim most kinds of ships. They can also reach great depths and navigate extremely murky water; relying on their extremely sensitive fins and tentacles to sense the flow of water and whatever may be in the water when their eyes are of no use. They are also very nimble and graceful on land. Once their fins on their feet have retracted they are surprisingly sure-footed. This is partly an adaptation against their natural tendency for clumsiness on land after being in the water for an extended period of time, and partly a response to the very difficult terrain of the rainforest. The floor of the rainforest is covered it raised roots, plants and fungi that are poisonous to the touch, and ensnaring vines and giant spider webs. They are also, surprisingly, quite good at climbing up the vines and branches of the forest. Their upper body strength is just as great as their lower body strength, and they are quite dexterous. They have been seen climbing 40ft up clinging vines in under a minute to escape jawarl beasts. They are also expert trap makers and weavers, their perpetually webbed hands are not much of an encumbrance to them. Reproduction Amphin appear to have mammal-like reproduction, but on second glance are only mammal-like in appearance. They give birth to live young, but this is merely a mutation in which instead of laying forty eggs like their distant relatives across the world, they keep about a third that many in a special organ within the body, much like a uterus in mammals. Males fertilize these eggs in a similar fashion to mammals although their "equipment" is smaller than average. Eggs are released about once a year during a 8-12 year fertile period. Any eggs which are unfertilized within a couple weeks of being released are broken down and absorbed back into the female's body. After fertilization about half of the eggs will still break down and be reabsorbed either by the mother or the other eggs. A few eggs will "miscarry" over the next 3 months and then only about 3-4 will hatch and be born. Amphin offspring are raised communally by the entire group. Dress Most Amphin prefer to not wear too much clothing. The jungle is quite humid heavy clothing limits their mobility. They also like to show off their skin patterns, going so far as to make custom clothing that best displays their most unique designs. Amphin also don't like very free flowing clothing, as it is bothersome while swimming and can get snagged easily. As such, only their small children or those who never leave the village ever wear loose and simple dresses or skirts. Generally, they just wear short pants and females wear also wear cloths over their chests. Amphin also wear some jewelry. Mostly close fitting necklaces with animal teeth, beads, and feathers, rope or metal armbands, and metal ear piercings. The lower spine of their ear fins are not as sensitive as the rest, so some wear earrings pierced around the lower spine of their ears. Culture The tribes have been completely isolated from other groups for most of their existence. They don't have very advanced technology but are inclined to trying to invent new things; they believe that one should try to fulfill their full potential and not waste the life they have been given. They care a lot about each other and are friendly toward other tribes and the other inhabitants of the jungle. They keep large cats around their villages instead of domesticated dogs and such and are a generally kind people. Because they believe that all living things have souls and are part of the Worldsoul, when they die, they have special rituals for hunting and whenever they kill an animal. When they kill an animal in a hunt, they say prayers to their goddess and thank the deceased animal for its body; only then will they butcher it. They also make sure to use every part of the animal: meat for food, skin for leather, brushes, and other applications, and it's none for steel, adornment, and other applications. The Amphin believe that it is insulting to their goddess, the creator and source of all life, to discard what was once a living thing. Because of this they are very good at finding uses for whatever they have and whatever they can't use, they wrap in cloth or leaves and bury or put a stream or river, and say quick prayers for. Religion The Amphin all believe in a nature goddess, called the “Earth Mother” or the “Worldsoul” who is the source and essence of all life in the world. They believe she is a benevolent mother like figure who will aid you if you really ask for her help, but otherwise is more like a force of nature (more specifically the force behind all nature). Their religion mostly asks practitioners to be respectful and thankful to life and to not take it for granted. Children and the elderly are to be cared for, war is considered disrespectful to the sanctity of life, and people are more inclined to help others. People are also generally focused on preserving their homeland and taking care of it. They believe that when someone dies their souls becomes part of the Worldsoul and they become part of the body of the earth. Because of this they have remained isolated in the rainforest and are not particularly fond of venturing far from their homeland. Some of their shamans also do what most would consider magic, but they just consider it “asking for the Worldsoul’s aid”. It is minor magic, limited to making the water ripple and scare fish,speeding up healing, calming animals, minor vague telepathy, hazy visions of the near future, and making small vines and roots bend to one’s will. Politics The various tribes are lead by chiefs, who are guided by elders, and at least one shaman. The shaman is usually accompanied by a shaman-in-training; their successor, who doesn't have any political power themselves, but is still considered an important person. The chiefs are chosen by the former chiefs before they pass on or abdicate or are the descendants of the chiefs if no successor was chosen. The shamans are recruited as students by the former shamans if they seem to have an affinity for the supernatural, or some other indication of importance. The elders are simply the older members of the tribe and are respected and sought after for their wisdom. Conflict between the tribes is rare, they would rather compromise or just avoid each other all together; and many chiefs and members of the tribes are actually related to each other, since intertribal marriage is not uncommon and is highly encouraged. The tribes have ambassadors in each of their fellow tribes, who are very important for intertribal relations and communication. All the tribes have an annual gathering at the Crystal Lake in midsummer where all the chiefs meet and a lot of trade is conducted. Many tribes have come and gone through history, from war, disease, famine, integrating into other tribes, and so on. There are currently two main tribes: the Temuk River clan, and the Deepwood clan, which are the oldest surviving tribes. There are also three smaller, lesser tribes: the Aljo Clan, the Mari clan, and the Grav clan, which is the youngest tribe, only being about twenty years old. Tribes exist as several bands of people who usually follow a leader and elders and also have some shamans too. An average band is about 50-60 people including children. A Tribe usually has many bands who go do their own thing, but follow the chief of a major band in their region. Bands who take on the last name of a certain band's chief are officially declaring that their band is a follower of that band until they change their name again. So a Tribe is just a group of smaller groups that follows one "main" group. If the chief of the main band wants to move north, he/she explains it to the heads of the other bands and they all follow him/her north. Amphin are a very close knit bunch, and like the company and support of others, but don't want to be in way too big of a group. Also, the total population of Amphin is about 56,000. Capital The tribes don't have set capitals, they are all nomadic, but there is one place that all the tribes consider sacred; the Crystal Lake. This is where they conduct major gatherings, where their best shamans are trained, and is where violence is completely prohibited; when staying around the lake people are forbidden from hunting, killing, or intentionally harming others, one’s diet while here is strictly vegetarian. The punishment for breaking these laws is exile. It is considered an extremely important place. Technology They are mostly nomadic hunter-gatherers with basic smithing and smelting technology. Their weapons are mostly spears, javelins, machetes, bows and arrows, darts, and traps; most of which are in some way poisoned. Economics The amphin tribes mostly use a barter system, although they are in the early stages of using currency, that currency being gold and any other useful metals, like bronze, copper, and iron. They trade food, furs, clothes, information, and whatever else they have to offer. Amphin Upbringing When an Amphin is born they are shown to the village’s shaman or shamans and they will divine the child’s future based on the markings the child is born with. These prophecies are usually vague and while the child may be raised with that future in mind, making these self-fulfilling prophecies, they aren't set in stone and may not come true in the expected way, but are always expected to come true in some way. Markings are also somewhat hereditary, so the features they are prophesied to have may just be also inherited from their parents, like strong swimmer or narcissism. Since all Amphin are born covered in markings of unique sizes and shapes all over their bodies, it was only natural that they would find significance in these markings. For example, if a child had markings on their fins or gills, they would probably be a really good swimmer, or if they had very intricate and ornate swirling and/or branching markings they would almost certainly grow up to be a good mage. However, if a child was born with large circles around their eyes, they would be expected to have to make a very important and pivotal decision someday, that would not only affect them, but also the whole tribe. Young amphin are encouraged to try everything, hunting, healing, smithing, using magic, etc.Young amphin are taught a little of everything the village has to offer; with hunters how to hunt, fish, and track, etc, with healers the properties of plants, how to treat basic injuries, etc. When they reach puberty are expected to go into an apprenticeship in a certain discipline, either choosing themselves, or being recruited if they show a particular talent. Once one has completed an apprenticeship they are considered an adult and after showing significant skill or doing something particularly significant they are considered a master in their craft. All members of the group contribute to community activities, like hunting and foraging, but certain tasks require some training. Roles in Amphin Society All amphin must help hunting, but some can dedicate all their time to being master hunters, known as druluk-hor. They lead hunts, scouting missions, and train hunting apprentices. Some hunters also become beast masters, rok-hor, and help raise and train any jaguar and panther cubs and and other animals the village keeps in addition to their other duties. While most amphin are unable to use magic, about 2% can use magic in some capacity. Girls who show the most skill and potential are made the apprentices of the village’s head shaman, mayj. Village shamans can only be female, but either gender can use magic and, if particularly skilled, can train at the sacred Crystal Lake and become a permanent shaman at the Dashao Rainforest’s most revered site. The shaman trains them in magic, and fulfilling the other duties of the shaman: funeral rites, keeping records, arbitrating, ect. Other professions, such as smiths and healers are mostly part time, require much longer training than hunters and have very important roles to play. Smiths make and repair metal objects, gather iron ore, train apprentices, make apprentices gather metals and make primitive steel. Certain metals, like gold, can be found in the rivers and streams and caves of the western mountains. Steel is made with iron and whatever carbon can be found, mostly coal, charcoal, and animal bones. Weapons made with animal bones are said to be imbued with the power of the animal, and so are treated with respect and care and usually have an image of the animal incorporated into the hilt or scabbard if it's a blade. Besides weaponry smiths also make jewelry and other accessories. A master smith is called a khaluk-hor and has the responsibility of training apprentices. Healers, also known as danjuk,or danjuk-hor if they are master healers, have many jobs. They heal the sick and wounded, help with births and pregnancies, make herbal medicines, and make village’s poisons. Healers are also herbalists, they are expected to know the uses of all the different kinds of plants in the rainforest. The leader of a band or chief of a tribe is usually chosen by the former chief and approved by the elders of the group. One is chosen based on their merit and skill and once chosen is expected to help the current chief and elders with whatever they need. The chief is a servant of the people and has the trust of the people in their hands, and the chief is expected to act accordingly. This is very unusual, but the tribe dislikes their chief and wants a change they can hold a vote and then if the chief is voted out, he or she is peacefully replaced by the successor or a new chief is chosen by the elders and shaman. The leader or chief is known as the "surkhal" in formal contexts, or "ashon" in informal contexts. Amphin Magic Only about 2% can use “real” magic and most just try to master one type of magic, but shamans are expected to be proficient in all six types of magic, which is something only shamans can do. The six types are the three water disciplines: divination, telepathy, and hydromancy, and three earth disciplines: healing, animal control, and biomancy. Divination is mostly interpreting the stars and any unusual phenomena, getting and interpreting hazy visions of the future, and reading a newborn’s future by interpreting the pattern of markings on their bodies. Telepathy is the ability to send memories or visions to others, these visions can only be sent over a short distance and are very brief, this is also the most difficult magic to learn. Hydromancy is the ability to move water, it is not very strong, mostly just making the water ripple, splash, part about half a cubic foot, and briefly jet out. Healing is mostly just speeding up the natural healing process by about 6%, stabilizing the critically injured, and slightly strengthening people for a duration of about half an hour. Animal control is the ability calm down wild animals and make predators back off, not through fear or force, but through peaceful coercion with a little bit of mind control; needless to say it's taboo to use on a sentient being. Finally, biomancy is is the ability to move small vines and roots. It is not very strong and is limited mostly to moving medium and small roots a few inches from where they were and having vines reach out about a foot or so from where they were. Amphin magic is not very strong and those who use it must be very clever in how they use it to make the most out of it. To “cast” the spell, a user will pray or somehow invoke their deity, the Worldsoul/ Earth Mother and think very hard about what they want to do. It requires intense focus and will leave the user tired if used too much too frequently. That's about all there is so far on amphin magic. Amphin Relationships Amphin, most of whom are bisexual, will have multiple partners throughout their lives and don’t normally mate with one person for life. Instead, they stay with one or two people for an extended period of time and then move on, while still staying close with former partners. It is one of the duties of the shamans to keep track of the lineages of the people in their tribe. Sometimes parentage can get a bit hazy, and the mother might not know who the father is, but thankfully certain physical traits, such as markings and skin patterns, are partially hereditary, so the shamans use those to tell the parentage. If it still can't be figured out, they all just decide they're the parents and raise the child together. Most children are raised together by the whole village anyway. When an Amphin wants to court a person they like, they'll ask the other if they want to be in a relationship and offer the other a few flowers of the silphium plant, most known for being a natural contraceptive, among other gifts. If the other declines the gift, it's a rejection, if the other accepts the gift, they accept the offer and the two will be in a relationship for however long they feel like being together. The Amphin are generally very casual when it comes to relationships. Amphin Death Rituals When an Amphin dies the entire band mourns their passing for about a week. No one hunts or fishes, and all the members of that person’s band attend a funeral ceremony held by the local shaman. The body is dressed in their favorite clothes, wrapped in a cloth, and buried in the ground with a sapling planted on top, so they can “give back to the earth and continue to provide for the people”. These saplings are said to contain the spirits of the deceased and cutting down these trees is a grave offense, comparable to murder. To not get these trees confused with others, a metal ring is put around the tree and replaced when the tree outgrows it. It is one of the duties of the chiefs to maintain and take care of these trees along with the family of the deceased. Notable Amphin Vesk Aljo An Amphin man exiled from his tribe for several offenses, mostly including breaking the sacred fasts from meat during intertribal meetings, failing to uphold his responsibilities as a beast tamer, and getting so lost that his tribe had to spend over a week looking for him, on several occasions. He is currently a member of the Corisian Explorer's Society and is traveling the world, working on creating a bestiary of all the notable creatures around Aeras.